Method of stretching and coiling belts.



w. H. BRADSHAW. METHOD OF STRETCHING AND COILING BELTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4, I9l7.

1,258,648, Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

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WILLIAM H. BRADSHAW, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, assrcnoa To WILLIAM THOMPSON PLUMMER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF STBETGHING AND COILING BELTS.

Specification'of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 12,1918.

Application filed Kay 4, 1917. Serial No. 166,817.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM BRAD- SHAW, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain newand use.- ful Improvements in Methods of Stretching and Coiling Belts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a method of stretching and coiling belts preferably during the process of manufacture or prior to their actual commercial use.

'One of the objects of they present invention is to provide a simple and practical process of treating belts to permanently remove the stretch therein. A further object is to provide a continuous method or process of stretching and coiling belts which will be commercially practicable and more efiicient, reliable and satisfactory than processes now in use.

Other objects will be in part obvious from the annexed drawing and in part indicated in connection therewith by the following analysis of this invention. I

This inventionaccordingly consists in the several steps and their various relations to one another, as well as their relations to the features of construction, combination of parts and in the unique relations of the members, and in the relative proportioning and disposition thereof; all as more completely outlined herein.

To enablev others skilled in the art so fully to comprehend the underlying features thereof that they can perform the same in apparatus involvin numerous modifications in structure and re ation, drawin s depicting a preferred form of apparatus ave been annexed as a part of this disclosure, 1n which is shown semi-diagrammatically a side elevation thereof.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, 1, 2 and 3 denote three sets or pairs of stretching and calendering rollers. It 1s, of course, to be understood that more or less sets may be employed as desired, six sets being preferred. The belt 4 passes over and between these rolls, as indicated and the several rolls are connected by means of power transmitting mechanism of any desired type, such as chains and sprockets n a manner to produce a progressively increasing peripheral speed of each set with respect to the previous set. This progression need not be constant or uniform. Thus, for example the first set is provided with a sprocket 5 and chain 6 connected with a sprocket 7 upon the second set. This same shaft is provided with a slightly larger sprocket 8 which is connected by means of chain 9 with a sprocket 10 upon the third set. The same is true of the lower rolls of each set. Both rolls of the first set are driven from a shaft 11 provided with bevel gearing 12 or the like adjacent the set, as well as gearing1'3 communicating with a main power shaft 14. A source of power indicated by the belt and pulley 15 is intended to rotate the shaft 14:. I y 7 It will thus be seen that as the shaft 14 rotates ower will be transmitted through the shafii 11 to both rollers of the first set. This power is further transmitted through chains 6 to the rollers of the second set and thence through chains 9 to the rollers of the third set and so on if more sets are employed. The second set is rotated at a slightly higher rate of speed than the first while the third s'et'is designed to rotate at a slightlyhigher speed than the second set. This produces a continuous stretching of the belt at the points 16 and 17 where it passes from one set to another prior to its passage to the reeling or coiling mechanism shown at the right of the drawing.

While the rollers of the sets as shown are of the same size and the sprockets ofdifierent size, it is clear that the rollers may of increasing size nd the sprockets of the same size to produce the same result of increasing peripheral spjeed.

The reeling or coiling mechanism for the belt which should be immediately adjacent the stretching mechanism comprises rollers 20 and 21 connected by means of chain and sprocket mechanism 2223 driven from a secondary shaft 24 connected by means of a bevel gear or the like 25 to the main power shaft 14. The coiled belt is indicated at 26 and is held down with a high degree of pressure upon the roll 21 by means ofa presser roll 27 guided as by a frame 28 of any desired type. The rollers 20 and '21 are slightly different in diameter and thus the 1periphery taining the helt in its stretched condition and coiling it-verytightly in that stretched condition. The roller 20 is referably driven at aslightly greater perip eral-speed than.

the roller 3 in order to produces stretching of the belt adjacent the point 30, thus pre ventingrecovery. I I v i If desired the rollersmay be of the same size and driven bydifi'erential gearing although the structure shown is preferred.

These 'mechanisms above described merely illustrate semi-diagrammaticall one of a number of "different forms apparatus ads ted-t0 carry out the processflherein de- It may have been attempted to stretch beltsby themechanism shown at the left ofthe'drawing'and it also may have been attempted to coil belts by a mechanism somewhat similar to that shown at the right, but

' it 1s believedthat the combination of parts herein shown and the peculiar and continuous process hereinafter set forth of sie multaneously stretching and coiling" a belt substantially durin its process of manufao, ture has "never be ore beeuattemptedl and that due to a peculiarfcoaction and interrelation of these mechanisms a much better belt is obtained and in less time, inthat the distensibility is permanently eliminated one operation as will be hereinafterexplainedr The method of using an apparatusof this characteris substantially as follows; The

belt is woven through. or positioned upon the several sets of rollers 1, 2 and 3 and a 1 then led under the roller 20and partially wound upon-a solid core or mandrel 31 to'makea fabric belt, there,isproduced a very strong and firm article;

plished in a coiling device used by itself.-

restin weighted pressure roll'27. The apparatus is t en started and due tothe peculiar coaction and inter-relation of the two groups of elements and the (manner of connecting one with the other, wherebyeach roller'or set of rollers hasa greater peripheral speed than the previousroll'er or set in engage.- ment, there is accomplished a pullingof the belt at alltimes whereby it is stretched and Wound nplverytightly.

By way of example, it maybe noted that I when the'plies'of canvas aresewed together many thousand pounds is required in order to stretch a-twenty-inch'ten-pl belt. This,

stretching cannot be success lly accomnor could it be successfully or ractic'fally accomplished by a belt. stretching device I alone such as shown at the left of the drawgs,v for Y example.

I I stretch the belt in a coilin device a one the coil could not be pressed 2 ownwardly upon the roll 2lwith vsufiicient pressure to put the between therollers 20 and 21, and held" rmly the'reagainst by means of the A pull "of If it is attem ted to required tension in the belt for the rollers would simply spin around against the .face of/the belt and shortly wearholes therein.

I With the calendering rollers or belt stretchpin device shown at the left of the drawings,

th s desired degree of tension is very easily exertedup'on the belt because the belt is wrapped aroundjthe rollers through a major portion of their arcs and in addition to this, the sets of, rollers are pressed together into bitin engagement upon the belt as it passes there etween. When'sufiicient sets are used it therefore ispossible desired amount, a

The set of calendars, constitutes a machine which enables the stretchingiof the belt with a tension sufiicient to produce the initial desired result The'fabric in the belt, however, is very elastic and the instant it leaves thecalender rollers, it tends} to recover itself or's'horten. When the belt is passed through the, set of calender rollers arranged to run at diiferential s eeds, such as above set forthv 1t, it is then much easier to stretch the i to maintain this stretch, or, if it partially recovers, agam to pull the" belt to its stretched length than it would be if the belt" had not been passed through the calender'rolls. The result is that although-the belt cannot be permanently stretched by either a coiling machine alone or a set of 'Z'calender rolls alone the stretch can be permanently removed b vfirst passing the belt ,t hrough a' set of ca ender rolls and imn1e-' diately coiling it in its stretched condition as described above. v

It is impracticable to build'an ordinary coiling] machine which applies its power to the core with sufiicient strength :to coil a twenty inch ten-ply belt when the coil approaches its maximum diameter, for the reasonthat the poweris applied to the center of the coil and the strain is applied to the circumference, but by using the coiling machine such as herein set forth, it is possible to maintain sullicient tension on the belt to prevent the belt previously stretched ina to stretch thebelt the set' of calender rolls from recovering on itself and thereforecoil it in a stretched condition. v Afterthe-belt hasstood for aweek or two coiled in this stretched condition it sets in such condition- ..and the stretch is permanently eliminated.

1t-.isthus seen that the present invention provides asimple and practical method of the above general character adaptedto accoinplish, among others, all of the objects and advantages herein set forth'in a reli .v

able, eflicient and inexpensive manner.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of this invention that others I can by, appl ing current knowledge readily adaptlt or various applicationsiwithout omittingcertain features that, from the standpoint of'the prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention, and therefore such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalency of the following claims.

I claim:

1. The herein described method of treating belts which consists of separately stretching and then immediately simultaneously stretching and coiling said belts.

2. The herein described method of treating belts which consists of separately stretching and then immediately coiling said belts, while maintaining the resulting tension.

3. The herein described method of treating belts which consists of subjecting a belt to a series of roller devices having increasing peripheral speeds and coiling the belt when fed from said roller devices while maintaining the resulting tension.

4. The herein described method of treating belts which consists of subjecting a belt to a series of rollers having increasing peripheral speeds and coiling the belt when fed from said rollers by engagement with rollers having a higher peripheral speed than the first mentioned rollers.

5. The herein described method of treating belts which consists of subjecting a belt to a series of rollers having increaslng peripheral speeds and then feeding the stretched belt to a coiling device while still under tension.

6. The herein described method of treating belts which consists of subjecting a belt to a series of rollers havin increasing peripheral speeds and then fiaeding the belt into engagement with a pair of rollers one of which has a higher peripheral speed than the other for coiling the same.

7. The herein described method of treating belts which consists of subjecting a belt to a series of rollers having increasing peripheral speeds, and then feeding the belt to a pair of rollers one of which has a higher peripheral speed than the other and both a higher speed than the stretching rollers for coiling the belt therebetween.

8. The herein described method of treating belts which consists of stretching a belt by a series of rollers having increasing peripheral speeds, and then feeding the belt to a pair of rollers for coiling the belt therebetwecn, one of which rollers has a higher peripheral speed than the other, and both a higher speed than the stretching rollers, and simultaneously pressing the coiling belt toward said last pair of rollers.

9. The herein described method of treating belts which consists of separately stretching and then simultaneously stretch ing and coiling a belt by continuously subj ecting the belt to a series of calendering and pulling devices.

10. The herein described method of treating belts which consists of stretching and then simultaneously stretching and coiling a belt by continuously subjecting the belt to a series of calendering and pulling deviceseach of which has a more rapid action upon the belt than the preceding one.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM H. BRADSHAW.

Witnesses:

KATHARINE G. HERZBERG, M. F. WHITCOMB.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

